Frequently Asked Questions

Oak Hill UMC is a connectional church affiliated with the worldwide United Methodist Church. A great place for information about United Methodist beliefs is our general church website, www.umc.org. We ascribe to the core Christian beliefs expressed in the Apostle’s Creed and depend on the Bible as our guide of faith. Our denomination’s founder, John Wesley, believed in holiness of heart and life and lived by the philosophy “think and let think.” We still pride ourselves on being a church of people whose hearts, minds, and doors are open to God and open to others. People who come to us from other denominations frequently have questions about the differences between religions. We offer many classes during the year to help people dive deeper into these questions. Our pastors would be happy to meet with you by appointment and talk about these questions or point you to further information.

Children are an important part of the life of the church. They are welcome in worship, and childcare is also provided in our bright, new nursery during all our worship services. For classes and other gatherings, please contact our director of Children’s Ministries, Jenny Holm, at jenny@oakhillumc.org or call 512-288-3836 x232 to make a reservation in advance. Reservations help us plan for a healthy balance of children and caregivers. For a detailed explanation of our ministries with children, see the Children’s Ministries section. For details on Children’s Sunday School classes and nursery care, please check this page.

We welcome visitors and do our best to make you comfortable. We will welcome visitors during the service and encourage you to visit the welcome desk, but we will not make you stand up or stand out in any way. We understand that you may want to visit for a while before you choose to join. Some people like to attend classes or participate in charitable projects with us before they join; we offer many opportunities for this.

Oak Hill UMC, like Austin, is a casual, laid-back place, and we dress accordingly. We believe the spirit that people bring to worship is more important than the clothes they wear. People tend to dress more formally at our traditional services, with a handful of coats and ties making an appearance, especially among the older generation, and some of our little girls get decked out in party dresses and bows. Generally, though, you will see plenty of people in jeans and shorts, especially at our 10 a.m. Pathways service and Wednesday night worship.

YES. We want to know so we can respond as soon as possible. Call the church office at 512-288-3836 to speak with a pastor at any time. If you would like a visit from someone at the church, please contact Rebecca Fontenot at rebecca_fontenot@yahoo.com or call (512) 751-8923.

Prayer concerns may also be sent directly to Rebecca via email.

The “lost & found” box is kept at the information desk in the church narthex.

We extend an invitation to join the church at each Sunday worship service. You may join at that time, or you may make an appointment to meet with one of the pastors to learn more.
If you have never been part of a church, you will be joining us by profession of faith. We will ask if you believe in Jesus Christ and promise to follow his teachings. We will encourage you to learn more about the Christian faith and the United Methodist Church in particular and to be baptized.
If you had been part of a Christian church in the past but have not been an active participant, you will be joining us by reaffirmation of faith. We will ask you to reaffirm your faith in Christ.
If you have been a member of another United Methodist church, you will be joining by transfer of membership. We will contact your former church to have your membership transferred.
In all cases, you will be asked to support Oak Hill United Methodist Church with your prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Because the congregation will promise to support you as well, we do not accept members privately, but we have done so in smaller settings. Please speak with a pastor to learn more about joining.

All addresses are kept on one unified mailing list. To submit or correct your address and telephone number or to be added to a certain mailing list (Ministry teams, Youth etc), please contact Angie Bragg at angie@oakhillumc.org or call 512-288-3836.

Send information (and pictures) for publication in the church’s newsletter, the “Cornerstone,” to our communications director, Don Kerr, at cornerstone@oakhillumc.org. The Cornerstone is published twice a month. Deadlines fall every other Monday (look on the last page of the Cornerstone for exact dates).

Kathy Williamson makes the Sunday bulletins; send info to her at office@oakhillumc.org or call 512-288-3836. Deadlines are every Wednesday at noon.
Most of the news in the “Cornerstone” and bulletin is posted on the church website; contact Don Kerr with website questions.

Office Manager Kathy Williamson handles space reservations at office@oakhillumc.org or call 512-288-3836 x206. Please make reservations in advance so that other needs may be scheduled having to do with room clean-up and environment. Always indicate in advance if childcare will be needed. A meeting cannot be placed on the official church calendar without first scheduling with Kathy.

ABOUT OUR CHURCH

Oak Hill United Methodist Church, where everyone is a minister, welcomes and encourages all to experience and embody God's unconditional love revealed in Jesus Christ, serving so that the world becomes what God desires.

We are a community of worship, fellowship & mission in Southwest Austin.